Penguins, Lemurs and Dolphins, Oh my!
by Esperanza Hyde the Vamp Queen
Summary: Talia Jade Emerson is a normal girl living with her mom. Talia's mom goes missing in New York while on a business trip & she goes to off to find her. After living on New York streets for 2 weeks, Talia slips into a zoo & meets 4 military penguins, becoming fast friends with them. Join Talia on her journey as she faces danger, adventure & new friends all while trying to find her mom
1. Talia

**Hello people of the PoM world! It's I, Esperanza Hyde the Vamp Queen, with a new story for you guys to read! I'm new to the PoM world and have been popular with the Transformers world. Maybe some of you have seen another story in the 2012 TMNT world from me or read my Mario stories. I guess I can't say that I have a favorite fandom to stay in, but I love these alot!**

 **I used to hang out around this fandom alot at the beginning, just reading PoM stories and reviewing occasionally. Now after watching various episodes and getting a few plot bunnies stuck in my head, this automatically stayed in my head. And now, I give you Penguins, Lemurs and Dolphins, Oh my!**

 **I own: my OCs**

 **Nickelodeon and Dreamworks own: Penguins of Madagascar**

 **Talia POV**

"Talia Jade Emerson, if you don't get your ass down here in 10 seconds, I'm coming up there and dragging you down by your hair!" yelled my best friend, Piper.

"Give me a moment!" I yelled back and checked in the mirror to see if my hair was ok.

My name is Talia Jade Emerson, in case you didn't hear Piper screaming it out to the heavens. I stand at a lovely 5'5 and weight about 100 pounds. I normally dress in T-shirts and jeans with the occasional dress every now and then. As for my looks, I have black hair that reaches to my stomach with bangs and jade green eyes. My eyes are the reason why I have Jade as my middle name. My skin is fair and my lips have a pink hint to them.

After checking my hair, I ran back down the stairs to the front door and unlocked it so Piper could come in.

"It's about time. The iPhone 5 would've been 100 years old by the time you opened the door." Piper said as she entered.

Piper Roseann Collins has been my best friend since I was 6 years old. She has chocolate brown hair that goes a little past her shoulders and her eyes are a light brown. Her skin was tan and her lips had that perfect shade of pink. Standing at 5'6, she has a perfect body and weighs about 105 pounds. Piper dresses just a little more girly than I do, but not by much. I dress in boy-ish T-shirts while Piper wears girl T-shirts.

"I'm sorry, I had to check if my hair was ok." I said and we both sat on the couch.

"Dude, I don't have long until Mom takes me to school." Piper said. "Then I have to wait 'til after school to hang out with you."

I've been home-schooled by a personal teacher that comes to my house ever since 1st grade. I used to go to pre-school 'til Mom had me home-schooled by Mrs. Denabo. Piper moved into the house next door around that time and Mom thought that it would be a good idea to get us together at the 'welcome to the neighborhood' party.

Piper and I are the same age and we were 6 at the time when we met. After telling each other our favorite cake flavor and what kind of music we listen to, we became best friends. Now that we're 14 and starting high school, Piper and I have been walking across each other's yards and having sleepovers at our houses. Piper's been coming in the house before she goes to school and it gives us a chance to hang out more often.

"I know, I don't have long 'til Mrs. Denabo shows up and Mom leaves for work." I said and threw her the remote. "So, have you guys got that play down, yet?"

Piper had auditioned for a play in her school and she got a main character. They all have 'til the end of the week before they perform and I'm invited along to watch it.

"Yeah, Mr. Steele won't let us forget about it. It still bugs me that I have to kiss Hunter." Piper said.

Piper also has some friends aside from me that she hangs out with at school. They all met me last summer and they liked me right off the bat. All of them are in the play with Piper and the play is the last big thing happening before the end of the school year. I stop home school the same day Piper and them get out of school. It helps alot when I have spring breaks with them and Christmas breaks.

"I bet the big guy isn't too keen on you kissing him, either." I said and watched as she flipped through the channels.

Piper has 5 other friends, 2 boys and 3 girls.

Hunter Brady Stevens is the oldest at 17 and he's a junior. He has dark brown, shaggy hair hair and he's really strong. Hunter dresses like a bad boy, but he's a true softy at heart. His eyes are a light green and he's a head taller than me.

Jasmine Rose Lomax is an African-American, a junior at 16 and she's like Hunter. Jasmine dresses like a bad girl, but she's also a softy. Jasmine has dark brown eyes and she's about 5'6. Jasmine has a big crush on Hunter, but she begged the rest of us not to tell him. I kept my mouth shut so I didn't get killed.

Cora Grace Rider is partial Wiccan, a sophomore at 16 and she's all kinds of cool. Cora wears nothing but black clothes and has black hair. Her eyes are blue and they make her look good in all black. Cora stands at 5'7 and she's the tallest out of us girls.

Kathryn (Katie) Elizabeth Jones is more girly than all of us girls combined. Katie has blonde hair and blue eyes and always has the color pink on her somewhere. Katie usually wears high heels, but she's really 5'5 and a freshman like me and Piper.

And last but not least, there's Aaron Taylor Worley and he's the best out of them all. Aaron is a freshman and he's older than me by a few months. He has blue-green eyes and his hair is a shiny, wavey brown that makes him look like a hug-able teddy bear. He's growning his beard out and he can pull off the lumberjack look. Aaron's smile was the best part of him. Aaron is like the good, all-around best friend type of guy that anyone would be lucky to have as a friend.

I can't help but to sigh at the very thought of Aaron. He's just so dreamy and handsome! Yes, I'll admit I have a very huge crush on Aaron. No, I won't tell him that I like him. Reason why, you ask, I'm too much of a wimp and I'm a freshman. Freshmen are supposed to be stupid and immature. I know I'm both, but hey, might as well live up the stereotype for now.

Back to the conversation at hand.

"I know and I'm glad he decided to let us kiss during the performance other than at practices. Jasmine said that she was cool with it since she knows I don't like Hunter like that." Piper said and put the channel on Spongebob. "Hey, it's the campfire song!"

"C'mon, sing it with me!" I say and grab my comb from off the coffee table. "Let's gather 'round the campfire and sing our campfire song!"

"Our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song! And if you don't think that we can sing it faster than you're wrong. 'Cause it'll help if you just sing along! Bum, bum, bum!" We both sang into our little comb 'microphone'. "C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song! C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song! And if you don't think that we can sing it faster than you're wrong! 'Cause it'll help if you just sing along!"

"Patrick!" I yell and point at Piper, who realized that I called her the tubby starfish and flipped me the bird.

"C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song! Squidward!" Piper sang and then pointed to me. I gave her a middle finger salute and mouthed 'Fuck you!' as she smiled. "Good!"

"It'll help! It'll help! If you just sing along! Oh yeah!" We both sang together and laughed as we heard someone clapping behind us.

"You 2 are still adorable." Mom said as she came in the living room with a cup of coffee. My mom's name is Christina Jewel Emerson. I get all of my looks from her, but the only differences are that her hair is red and her eyes are blue. My mom is shorter than Hunter, but she's still taller than me. "How've you been lately, Piper?"

"I've been good, how about you?" Piper greeted Mom.

"Same old, same old." Mom said and sipped at her coffee.

"Ah, man! I have to go before I'm late. Later, Talia." Piper said and we both hugged.

"See ya later, Piper." I say as she turns and waves before heading out the door.

"When is that play of theirs again, Talia." Mom asked as she grabbed her coat.

"Friday, I think. What're you so dressed up for today?" I asked as I looked at her. Mom usually dressed casual for work, but today she has on an evening dress with her hair in a bun.

"There's a chance for one worker to get a higher position and interviews start today." Mom answered while wiping away invisible lint off her jacket. "No one will find out who gets the position until next week or so. The pay is better and the lucky winner gets to go to New York for a while."

"Wow, really?" I asked. We've never really been a rich little family, but we needed the money and Mom needs a little help paying the bills and Mrs. Denabo's pay check. I've been hoping that Mom would let me get a job after Mrs. Denabo was done teaching me for this year."Good luck, Mom." I gave Mom a hug and then Mrs. Denabo came in.

"Hello, Christina, Talia." Mrs. Denabo greeted. "You look beautiful, Christina."

"Hello, June. Thank you." Mom said and looked at her watch. "I've got to go before I'm late. Goodbye, Talia sweetie." Mom gave me a kiss on the forehead and shook Mrs. Denabo's hand.

"Bye, Mom!" I said.

"Goodbye, Christina." Mrs. Denabo said as Mom waved and walked out the door. "So, do you have your stuff, Talia."

"Yes, Mrs. Denabo." I said and got out my notebook. Time for the day to start.

 **First chapter done! The penguins won't be in the first few chapters. I'm sorry, but we all have to get to know Talia and the rest of her friends. Anyone like Piper so far? And what about Aaron? Does anyone think that it'll work out between him and Talia?**

 **PLEASE READ BELOW!**

 **I'm a senior in high school this year and I graduate the 27th of this month. That's in a week and a day, I think. So I'll have more time to update and think of new plot bunnies for all of my stories!**

 **I'm gonna try to apply to the local community college in the town near my small town. That college has a small program that I want to do.**

 **Anyway, that's all of the big news for now. Please red and review and no flames please! :)**


	2. Fort

**It's been over 2 months, but I'm back! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I don't have a laptop anymore and I'm waiting for my new one. Working over the phone is hard and alot of the time, my work gets erased.**

 **Anyway, you've met Talia, Piper and Christina, so in this chapter you get to meet Piper's friends and see what it's like after Talia gets done with her home school lessons. And we get to see what happens when Aaron spends a little time with Talia. ;)**

 **I don't have anything else to say, so let's get on with the reading!**

 **I own: My OC's**

 **Nickelodeon and DreamWorks own: Penguins of Madagascar**

 **Talia POV**

"Alright, that's enough for today, Talia." Mrs. Denabo said as she closed her book. "I'll grade your test and you do page 42 in your math book. Oh, and don't forget to study for the science exam."

"Yes, Mrs. Denabo." I said as I closed my notebook. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Talia." Mrs. Denabo said as she gathered her stuff and then walked out the door.

I put my stuff in my room and then got out my phone to text Piper.

 **Me: R u done?**

 **Pied Piper: We got free time.**

 **Me: U got practice 2day?**

 **Pied Piper: Yas. U wanna come over?**

 **Me: Sure. B there soon.**

Piper had play practice with her friends and I often go watch them. After that, we go hang out at her house. I texted Mom that I was heading out with Piper and I would meet her back at the house for dinner. I packed my bookbag with everything I might need for today.

"Crap! Where's my phone?" I asked myself as I searched through my pockets.

I looked on the coffee table and there it sat. Shoving it in my pocket, I grabbed my bag and walked out the door with the house key in my hand. I locked the door and walked up the street. The school is about a block away from my house and I don't mind walking there.

I walked into the school parking lot and went into the building with the auditorium in it. School had let out by the time I was halfway there and I went through the large doors to see some students practicing on stage.

"Hey, Talia!" Piper's voice called from the other side of the room. I quickly walked over to the side where she was and hugged her.

"That was loud. How does Mr. Steele stand it when you talk over him?" I asked as we broke away from the hug.

"He's going over some of the antagonists lines with those guys." Piper said as she led me backstage. "It's not until he gets real serious in practicing when he goes crazy over silence.

"Talia!" Katie greets as she walks over to us. Katie's dressed in her costume and, of course, it's pink.

"Hey, Katie." I hugged her and she crushed me in her arms. "Ah, Katie! I need those lungs!"

"Oops, sorry!" Katie said and let go. "So, what're we doing after practice today? Can we go to the mall?"

"I don't have any money to shop with." Piper said. "I'm broke as of 3 days ago."

"Oh c'mon, we can just look around." Katie said and then Hunter came into view.

"Hey, gals." he said and took off his shades. "Mr. Steele said to get ready for the first half of the play and to be quiet back here."

"Alright, Steele has officially gone into bat shit crazy mode." Jasmine said as she walked back and I heard their drama teacher ranting about everything being perfect. "I seriously wish he'd stop getting so worked up over the play."

"This stuff gives him his paycheck. I can see why he's stressing." I said.

"Oh hey, Talia. How's it going?" Jasmine said as she high fived me.

"Oh, the usual." I said and returned her high five. "So what's making Mr. Steele check over your lines again?"

"Apparently, we have to be more 'menacing' and more along the 'shady' side." Hunter said, sarcastically. "Oh come on! Look at these! How much more shady can I get?" Hunter put his shades on and crossed his arms.

He and Jasmine were the bad guys of the play and they have the best act for them.

"I'm getting tired of going over the same thing 20 times." Jasmine said. "I wish the weekend was here already."

"Me too. I need a break from school." Piper said as she finished brushing through her hair. "We need to discuss what we're doing after practice today. What can we do?"

"Alright everyone, places! We need to get this right!" Mr. Steele announced. "Chop, chop! We're burning daylight!"

"Ok then, we meet at the back door after this is over." Piper said and we all split up.

I sat down in a chair and pretended to pay attention to the practice. I really am gonna pay attention to it when the day came to perform. I played a game on my phone until their practice was over.

"Thank god! I can't take this outfit anymore!" Piper said in relief as I walked backstage with her. There are small dressing rooms for both boys and girls back here in case someone has to change. "Talia, help me with this zipper back here."

"No problem." I said and quickly unzipped her. "Have you thought about where we're going?"

"I dunno about the park. We went there twice this week."

"I would say to the mall like Katie, but she'd go mad with shopping. And then you're broke." I said as Piper changed back into her regular clothes. "Maybe the others thought of something cool to do?"

"Hunter and Jasmine probably want to go to the club and Cora more than likely wants to talk to spirits." Piper said as she shoved on her shoes. "Maybe Aaron has something we can do. The fort can always be an option. He can bring over a game."

My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Aaron. His perfect hair and dreamy eyes...

"Hello? Earth to Talia?" Piper's voice echoed and her hand waved in my face. "Are you back from Aaron-ville?"

"Not funny, Piper." I said and playfully pushed her. "Do you even know if anyone wants to go back to the fort? Aaron probably thinks we're like little kids!"

The fort is technically a really cool tree house that Piper's dad built for us when they first moved in. The people who lived there before had it up for thier kids and left it there. Piper's dad fixed it up and added a whole bunch of new features that we helped with. We still use the fort alot when we go study and have sleep overs, but other than that, we don't really use it.

"Aaron won't think that! He's a big sweetheart." Piper said as we walked out of the dressing room. "Now, it's 3:45 and he should be close to finished with soccer practice."

"Alright...but if he doesn't like it anymore, it was your idea to come here." I said and walked out the door.

"Hey, wait up!" Hunter called to us as he and Jasmine walked up. "I just wanted to let you know that Jasmine and I are going clubbing."

"Cool." Piper said. "Talia and I were gonna ask Aaron if he wanted to join us in the fort."

"The infamous fort? I haven't heard you guys sat that you wanted to go there in a while." Jasmine said. "Well, you guys have fun and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later Talia, Piper." Hunter said and they walked towards the parking lot.

"C'mon. Maybe the guys will have their shirts off and we can both stare at some boys." Piper joked and I was both disgusted and intrigued.

I wouldn't mind seeing what Aaron has underneath the shirt...Oh hell, what am I thinking!?

"What!? Piper!" I exclaimed and she laughed.

"I only said that just to see the look on her face! Priceless!" Piper laughed and I scowled at her. "What? It was funny!"

"Hey, you two!" Katie called as she jogged over to us in her heels. How she managed to do that without falling is a mystery to me. "You wanna join me at the mall?"

"We don't have any money and it gets boring when we can't buy anything." Piper said as we walked over to the soccer field. "We're going to the fort and we're gonna ask Aaron if he wants to join us."

"The fort? I haven't been back there in a while." Katie said as she straightened out her outfit. "Are you sure you don't wanna join me? I'll pay if I have to. I don't have anyone else to join me."

"Maybe next time when we got the money." I said. "How about you join us in the fort? We still have room even though we're bigger now."

"I guess." Katie shrugged and she tagged along with us as we reached the soccer field.

The boys were playing soccer and we sat down on the bleachers to watch. After 10 minutes of watching the practice and Katie babbling on about the soccer uniforms, the coach called it quits for today.

"Oh, there's Aaron!" Piper said as I watched Aaron jog across the field to where his stuff was at.

Why did watching him sweat make him look so hot? I stomped out those thoughts as Piper grabbed my hand and led me down the bleachers.

"Hey, Aaron!" Piper called as she waved her other hand.

Aaron looked at us and waved back. My heart skipped a beat and I calmed myself so I wouldn't fall and break my neck down the bleachers.

"What's up, you guys?" Aaron asked as he took a sip of his drink from his water bottle.

"Do you wanna join us at my house? We plan on hanging out in the fort." Piper asked and I had to do everything in my power to not look at Aaron like an idiot.

And I'm probably failing at it, too.

"The fort? I haven't been there in a long time. That place is pretty impressive." Aaron said with a smile and ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. "Sure, I'll come. Just give me a minute to freshen up and get Zack to drop me off."

"Alright. Then we better start walking." Piper said and I was still trying to say 'hey' to him.

"Wait a moment, you three can ride with me and Zack." Aaron said and my heart soared.

Yes, more time to spend with him!

"That sounds great! Saves us alot of walking." Piper said and then she looked down at Katie's shoes. "How on God's green Earth do you still have feet? I'd only have stubs if I wore heels like that and walked everywhere."

"It's a gift." Katie said and I laughed at Piper.

"You and me both." I say and Piper gasped.

"She speaks!" Piper threw her hands in the air and nearly slapped me.

"Yeah, yeah. So what do we do while we wait?" I asked and did my best not to stutter.

"I'll be quick, it's Zack that won't really hurry." Aaron said.

Zack is Aaron's older brother. He's a junior and has a car. Aaron looks like Zack, but Zack is older and a little on the snobby side. Plus, he plays football and Katie really likes him.

"Zack's gonna be there!?" Katie nearly shouted. "I never rode in his car before! I've only seen it whenever you guys drive by."

"Yeah, I can't wait to get my license and my parents are gonna get me a yellow Camero." Aaron said.

"Like Bumblebee from Transformers." I said and Aaron turned to me.

"Yeah. I love Transformers. I'll take a guess that you like them, too." Aaron asked and I nodded.

"I'm in love with them! When the first trailer came out, I was like, 'Who wouldn't wanna watch giant robots fighting each other?" I said.

"And Optimus Prime rules!" Piper said and pumped a fist in there air.

"But you can't have Transformers without Bumblebee." I said and Aaron nodded.

"I agree with this girl." Aaron said and he looked at me. "I think you're reading my mind."

"Now way, you're reading mine!" I laughed and fidgeted with my fingers.

"Ok, I'm gonna get ready. I'll try to get Zack to hurry." Aaron said as he slung his bag over his shoulder and quickly ran with the other soccer players to these boys locker room.

"Wow." I said and tried my hardest not to stare at Aaron as he ran.

I can't believe I just talked to them love of my life without throwing up all over him! And we both love Transformers! I can't believe we have something in common with each other!

"I'll say! You basically talked to him!" Piper squealed and grabbed my arms as we walked towards them parking lot. "And you guys have something in common! Bonus!"

"Wait, you have a crush on Aaron?" Katie asked as she looked up from her phone. I think she was on that thing the whole time after we finished talking about Zack.

"Maybe..." I sheepishly admitted and rubbed the back of my neck while looking away.

"That's so cute! I totally ship it!" Katie cheered and jumped up and down in her heels. How does she do that without breaking her neck? "And I love Zack. Maybe one day we'll both end up being sister-in-laws!"

"Whoa, even I'm not looking that far into their future!" Piper exclaimed as we sat down at a bench in there court yard to wait for them Worley boys.

"So if we're gonna go forting, then what're we gonna do?" Katie asked. "I think I have a few magazines in my purse and we can find out each other's lip gloss colors!"

"No thank you. I'm not much of a lip gloss wearing girl." Piper declined.

"No, I'm good. Besides, we need to do something Aaron would like to do." I said. "Uno, maybe?"

"I have a magazine that has something to do with guys." Katie said and I looked at her purse in awe.

"Just how much stuff do you have in there?" I asked and Piper looked at it in surprise.

"Honey, this bag weighs alot." Katie said. "It looks bigger on their inside than it does the outside."

"Yo!" A voice called to us and I turned to the source of the voice.

Aaron was walking out of the school building with a taller and more muscular guy beside of him. Zach favored his brother alot and he was about a good head taller than Aaron.

"Let's roll!" Zach shouted again.

I seriously hope that his hair was wet from a quick shower instead of sweat. Aaron's, too. We got up from our seats and Katie skipped in her heels to Zack's side. How does she do that in heels!?

"Hi, Zack! I'm Kathryn, but I also go by Katie." Katie greeted as she twirled some of her blonde hair in her fingers. "So, are you gonna stay with us at Piper's?"

"Nah, I'm just dropping you guys off." Zack said and turned to Piper. "You'll have to lead me to your house. I have no idea where it's at."

"Don't worry big guy, I've got you covered." Piper said and we were led to a car. It was a pretty nice car and I love the glossy red color.

"So if you're not staying, where are you going?" Katie asked as we all got in after the guys put their stuff in the truck and buckled.

"I'm going to the mall. I just got an email from Abercrombie and Fitch saying they have a sale going on." Zack said as he started to drive out of the parking lot. "Which way after here?"

"Go left and then right." Piper directed and Zack followed her directions.

"Cool! I was planning on going to the mall, but people canceled and these guys don't have any money on them." Katie said. "Mind if I join you? I haven't got anything from Abercrombie and Fitch in a while."

"Sure thing. I'm meeting some of my friends there anyway." Zack said and Katie smiled.

"Sweet! Oh, I don't mean to cancel on you two." Katie apologized.

"Nah, it's ok." Piper said with a wave of her hand. "Take a left and another left, Zack."

"Aaron, what're you doing?" I asked as I watched Aaron stick his wet head out of the window.

"Drying my hair!" he shouted over the harsh wind the open window threw in the car. "It's the coolest and fastest way to do it!"

"Ok, but if you swallow a bug, I'm gonna laugh." I said and giggled as Aaron laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't!" Aaron laughed and I smiled like a doof. I could stare at him all day if I could.

We finally stopped at Piper's house and us three got out of the car.

"I'll be back for you later, Aaron." Zack said from his open window.

"Later, guys!" Katie waved as she slipped into the passenger side seat and gave us a smile.

Piper and I both gave her thumbs up as Zack drove off.

"At least she's happy." I said as we all entered the house.

"Aaron, we have snacks if you want any and a few drinks." Piper said and Aaron looked around.

"Nice redecorating. I think I'll have a Coke if you have any, please." Aaron said as he examined a vase.

"Thanks. You should see Talia's house." Piper said as she opened the fridge and tossed Aaron his drink. "Talia, you wanna drink?"

"Yes please." I said and caught the Coke she tossed.

"So, we wanna know what you wanna do in the fort." Piper said to Aaron.

"Have you guys redecorated the fort since I last been inside?" Aaron asked as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Yeah, we're getting it ready for the summer." I said and took a sip of my drink.

"Cool. Have you added anything else onto it?" Aaron asked and then started to down his drink.

"Yeah. Dad added something extra to it. But you have to see it." Piper said and pointed at Aaron. "I'm not telling you."

"Alright, then. Take me to your fort." Aaron said and got up from the chair.

We walked out the back door and to the trees that surrounded the place. Nestled up in some of the medium-high branches was the tree house that we called our fort. The tree house is big enough to support around 8 people at the most and is painted a nice brown color on the outside.

"Whoa, is that new?" Aaron asked as he looked at our new food pulley system.

Hanging from a branch at one of the windows was a large box that had a bar over it.

"Yep, that's our new pulley system. Whenever someone has to carry the trash down, we put it in the box and lower it down or to lift up to get food from below." Piper explained. "Plus, if we need another way down or up, we can stand or sit on that bar and lower/lift ourselves up/down. It's really cool and Dad thought of it a while back."

"Now we welcome you back to our casa!" I said as I started to climb up the wooden slates that we nailed on the tree as our ladder.

I got to the top and untied our makeshift lock to the door and lifted myself up inside. The other two followed me inside the 'living room'. We painted the room a bright blue and had everything we needed.

There was a chair and a small couch and some blankets in the corner. We had a small table in the middle of the room as a coffee table. Solar lights were the only lights we could use in here since there was no electricity outlets. All in all, a cute little room.

"Did you repaint?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, the paint was starting to chip off and Dad got us some more in asked different color." Piper said. "We really had to repaint the sky deck. Look at it now."

We walked out the door and onto the small skydeck. We walked across a small bridge to the next door tree that held our larger sky deck. It was also a bright blue and had a single rope with knots in it to lower us down or climb. We had slingshots on the railing to fend off 'Nazi invaders' and a smaller floor on the other side of the tree that hid our secret ladder.

"Nice. Did you guys change anything else?" Aaron asked as he looked over the yard.

"Other than clearing out Jasmine's room, not really." I answered him and he cocked an eyebrow I'm confusion.

"Did she get kicked out?" he asked.

"No, she and Hunter decided to stop coming over as often." Piper sighed. "That happened about a few days after you stopped showing up here as often."

"Can I see?" Aaron asked. "I haven't been here in so long, it feels like I need a tour."

"Sure! Let's go!" I said we all walked back across the bridge. We walked to the other door in the living room and went inside.

"Nothing changed much." Piper said.

Her room was painted a forest green and a few posters hung from the wall. A small bookcase held some books, an art set and a picture of us on top. Solar lights were the only source of light. A chair was sitting in the corner and a rug was lying in the middle of the floor. An old mattress sat against the wall with blankets and sheets in it.

"It still looks nice." Aaron said as he looked down. "Nice rug."

"Thanks. Now for upstairs." Piper said as she pulled a small rope ladder down from the corner of the room.

We all climbed up and opened the hatch to see Jasmine's empty room. Her room was red and it sometimes made the room look like it were on fire when the sunlight hit it.

"It's so empty." Aaron said as he left the door open. "Which door is who's?"

Aaron crossed his arms and pointed to the doors on the opposite sides of the room. I smiled and pointed to his left.

"That room belongs to Cora. I'm actually scared to go in." I shivered. "She tries to conjure spirits in there. She almost set her own room on fire."

"Yeah, Dad won't let her light anymore in here or candles. Hence why we use solar powered lights." Piper said as she opened the door to Cora's room.

None of us stepped inside, but we observed from the outside. The entire room was painted black. A dark chair sat at the wall and some blankets near it. That was considered Cora's makeshift bed. There were Wiccan posters and drawings on the walls. There were jars of stuff on the floor and a few books. The creepiest was the large symbol on the floor in chalk in the center of the room.

"That's kinda creepy." Aaron said and we closed the door. "Is your room last?"

"Yeah, that's the other door." I said and we crossed the empty room to the blanket that served as my door.

We moved it and walked into my room.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" I said and showed off my room.

I painted it a nice shade of purple and had a few posters on the walls. A mattress was in the left corner with some blankets and sheets. I had a few pictures of me and Piper hanging there by the poster of Taylor Lautner. My solar lights lit up the room and I had a large chair in the corner of the room.

"I like this color." Aaron said as he touched the wall.

"Thank you. Purple's my favorite color." I said. "And guess what? I get a view of the street!"

I opened door on the other side of the room to a small deck and walked out.

"This is nice." Aaron complimented as we all looked out to the street and beyond. "I love the view."

"Thanks. And I even have a short cut to my room!" I said excitedly and moved aside to let Aaron see the rope ladder going down to the living room deck. "I can also go to the sky deck if I wanted to. It makes a great escape route in case someone were to try to trap us and take us."

"That's so cool! How many exits do you guys have?" Aaron asked.

"We have the original exit, the lift, the 2 exits on the sky deck and there's a secret exit from my room." Piper said. "That makes 5 exits."

"Wow, you guys have a secret exit?" Aaron asked. "I haven't heard of the last one."

"I figured out that there's a strong enough branch under my window to support someone's weight and I can fit through the window." Piper explained. "I have a rope ladder hidden in my room and I can attach it out on the branch, then climb down. Plus, if I walk across the branch, I can reach the branch of another tree in Talia's yard. Then I climb down and, voila, another escape route."

"So that'll make 7 routes." I said.

"Wow. Who knew something so small can be so big?" Aaron wondered out loud. "I really like it here. I wish Zack and I had something like this when we were younger."

"I'm just thankful that my dad built us this tree house." Piper said. "I promised him that Talia and I would play in it and let our friends hang out in it even if we were getting too old for it."

"You know what? Katie doesn't want this room when we asked her if she wanted it after Jasmine cleared out. Maybe you can hang out here." I suggested.

"Really? You'll let a boy hang out here?" Aaron asked.

"Hunter joined us in the living room and in Jasmine's room alot before. It don't matter to us." Piper said.

"Thanks, you guys!" Aaron said and picked us up in a hug.

I felt all of the breath go out of me and it isn't because he's squeezing the life outta me. Well...not entirely. It's because he was actually touching me in general. I imagined me in his arms always.

"Whoa, don't kill us, man!" Piper said and Aaron set us down. "What about when you can't make it? We've hardly ever seen you since January."

"Oh, I can make it here. The only reason why I haven't shown up as often is soccer. That should be the only reason why I can't make it here." Aaron explained. "Our last game is next Friday and we're done with that. Then I can make it over here by walking whenever Zack can't take me."

"Ok then, it's settled!" Piper said and clapped her hands together. "If you're taking Jasmine's old room, then you're gonna have to live with that color. That's why Katie didn't wanna take it."

"No problem, I like red." Aaron said and I cheered in excitement.

Now I get to see my one and only love right across my door! Aaron looked at me with a smile andI blushed.

"Let's start a list to get this room ready." Piper said. "I left my notebook inside. Let me go get it."

Piper went across the bridge to the skydeck and climbed down the rope. Aaron looked at me after Piper went inside.

"So, a boy technically staying here. How does that sound to you?" he asked.

"It'll be different, that's for sure." I said and then we went into the living room. "At least it's not like we're sleeping in the same house. The only reason why there's makeshift beds and couches is because we sit on them or take naps on them."

"It must be fun in here." Aaron said as he sat on the couch. "How long ago was it since this was built?"

"Long since Piper moved into the neighborhood." I answered. "People kept bullying us, so we asked her dad to fix this up for us so we can hang out here and our bullies couldn't get to us. Then we thought of our escape routes and battle plans."

"Battle plans?" Aaron laughed and I giggled.

"Yeah, we have a box attached to the wall in here that has supplies for water balloons, Nerf guns and paint bombs." I said and pointed to the wall behind us.

I got up and opened the box. Papers, Nerf guns and bullets, empty or busted water balloons and extra slingshots were in the box.

"Wow. And here I thought you two painted each other's nails and braided each other's hair." Aaron said as he picked up a large Nerf gun.

"We're not like other girls." I said and looked at a paper in the box. "We even have maps of our rooms and our escape routes. Piper added the one in her room and the one going across my backyard."

"I almost thought that you two lived a little bit farther away from here." Aaron said.

"Nope. We live here and beside each other." I said. "You know, I never knew that you like Transformers. Now we can both chat over that."

"Yeah and the best part is that we're right across from each other in here." Aaron said and I felt my heart race.

His hand was so close to mine and I so badly wanted him to grab it.

"Yo!" Piper said as she climbed out from the bottom entrance. Aaron and I looked back at her as she climbed inside. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I was showing Aaron our defense weapons box." I said and closed the box after Aaron put the Nerf gun back up.

"Oh. Did you like it?" Piper asked.

"Yeah. I never expected any of you to do this." Aaron said and we all sat down on the couch. "Why did the bullies chase you?"

"Oh, that's because they didn't have anything better to do." Piper said. "They called us names that we call each other alot. I'm Pied Piper and she's Tally Mark."

"Yep and we call each other that from time to time." I said.

"I'm sorry." Aaron apologized.

"It's ok, that was a long time ago." Piper said with a wave of her hand. "Now, let's make your list."

We worked on Aaron's room list and we all went inside to see if there were any old items Aaron could use in his room. We found him some old blankets and I went to my house to find stuff. I found some old drapes to put on the windows and Aaron would bring stuff over from his house. He even has a large beanbag chair to use as a chair or bed.

"It's starting to get dark. I usually go inside by this time." Piper said. "Aaron, you can follow one of us while we close the doors."

"Alright." Aaron said and he looked at me. "Lead the way."

I blushed and we split up to close the doors. Piper got the left side of the tree house and I got the other half. I went through and closed the doors with Aaron following me and we met Piper at the bridge. We walked off the skydeck exit and went inside the house.

"Mom and Dad should be getting back soon." Piper said and I looked at my phone.

"Mom's gonna be here soon, too." I said and Aaron had to answer his phone.

"I gotta pee. Be right back." Piper said and raced upstairs to her bathroom.

"Hey, Zack isn't too far away. He had to drop Katie off at her house." Aaron said as he put his phone in his back pocket. "Anyway, I'll be busy tomorrow with a soccer meeting and going out with my family for dinner. So I'll get some stuff from my house to bring to my room."

"Ok. I think Mr. Steele's keeping them all after school later to keep practicing for the play." I said and started to fidget since we were alone in the living room. "I usually stay there with them to hang out and keep them company while Mr. Steele makes everyone sit in the back when it's not their scene."

"I can't wait to see that play." Aaron said. "It must be a good one if Mr. Steele's making it perfect."

"Yeah, I told myself the same thing." I said and noticed how close we are.

I wanted to reach out and touch him if I could. I blushed as he looked at me and I looked down at the floor.

"Something wrong?" he asks and steps closer.

"N-no. I'm fine." I stammer as he steps so close to me.

"You have pretty eyes." Aaron said and I really feel like jumping into his arms.

"Thanks. Your eyes are nice, too." I said and he chuckled.

"You're welcome. And thanks." he said and then Piper chose that time to come in.

"Alright, I'm back." Piper said and I finally let myself breathe. "What's up?"

"Oh nothing. I'm waiting for Zack." Aaron said and some horn honks loudly outside. Aaron peeked out the window and slung his bag over his shoulder. "That's him now. I'll see you later, guys."

"Bye, Aaron!" Piper and I both say at the same time as he walks out the door.

"Oh. My. Fucking. God. You actually spoke to him!" Piper squealed and grabbed my shoulders, proceedingto shake them. "Now he's moving in the tree house with us! You really hit the jackpot this time!"

"Whoa, whoa, Piper!" I exclaimed and she stopped shaking me. "Calm down. I'm excited about him too, but let's not make a big deal outta it. It's not like he's moving into an apartment with us."

"In a way, it's the same and you know you wanna jump up and down with me." Piper said as my excitement won out over my denial.

"You're right!" I said with a smile as we both squealed loudlyand started jumping up and down.

"Oh, I'm so excited! Your first crush and future boyfriend finally getting to spend time with you all summer." Piper said and my heart skipped a beat at the thought of Aaron being my boyfriend.

"Do you really think he's gonna be my boyfriend one day?" I asked Piper and she nodded.

"Of course he will. I can tell he's interested in you." Piper said and I looked out the window to watch Zack's car drive away.

Then I noticed something else. Mom's car was sittingin the driveway of our house. What's she doing home early?

"Hmmm, Mom's home early." I said and then closed the curtain. "She rarely gets home early."

"Maybe something important happened and everyone went home early?" Piper guessed.

I shrugged. I didn't know.

"I guess that means you're needed at home." Piper said as she peeked out the window. "I'll tell my parents that you said hi and bye. Bye, Tally Mark."

Piper hugged me and I gave her a returning squeeze.

"Later, Pied Piper." I said and then walked out of the house with my stuff.

I crossed over the yards and then walked into the house.

"Mom, I'm home!" I yelled and threw my stuff on the couch. "Mom?"

"I'm in the kitchen." Mom's voice floated from the kitchen.

I walked in to see Mom, not cooking, but writing checks on the table and in a different dress. Why is she so dressed up?

"Why're you dressed differently?" I asked.

"You remember when I asked you about that amazing job offer everyone tried out for?" Mom asked and I nodded. "Believe it or not, but I got the job! I start tomorrow!"

"What!?" I shout in excitement and Mom gets up out of the chair. "Are you serious right now!?"

"Yes, I got the job by some miracle!" Mom said and we both squealed in joy as we hugged each other. "We did it! Now we can continue to live peacefully without me having to work extra hours!"

"That's so great, Mom!" I said and hugged her harder. "I can't believe you got the job."

"I can't believe it, either." Mom said and pulled out of the hug. "Change into nicer clothes and we can go out to celebrate. You can choose where we're going."

"Really? Ok." I said and quickly ran to my room to change.

I put on a skirt, a white tank top with a jean jacket over it. I brushed through my hair and put it in a ponytail before shoving on my Converse. I quickly went back into the kitchen to see Mom finishing up writing checks.

"C'mon. What do you want for dinner?" Mom asked and I immediately thought of something good to say as we got in the car.

"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I WANT, WHAT I REALLY, REALLY WANT!" I sang and Mom laughed as she started the car.

"SO TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT!" Mom sang and I laughed.

"A pizza would be fine." I said and Mom drove down to the pizza place not too far away from our house.

This pizza had the right amount of sauce on it and had the most delicious cheese ever! It wasn't too long after we went inside that we had pizza in front of us.

"Ok, Talia. My boss said that my hours will be reduced to about 4, so I'll definitely have more time to spend with you." Mom said as she got ready to eat her pizza. "I'm gonna have a better paycheck as well, so I can pay Mrs. Denabo in full now."

"That's good. I don't want her to put up with me all for nothing." I said and took a bite out of my pizza.

Best. Pizza. EVER!

"Yeah and she told me something that she thought would be best if you heard it from me first." Mom said and I could tell she was serious.

"What is it?" I asked and put down my pizza.

"Mrs. Denabo is thinking of retiring after this year is done. She told me earlier and asked if I would tell you." Mom said and I was shocked.

Mrs. Denabo retiring? I couldn't picture it.

"Wow. If she's retiring, then who's gonna teach me?" I asked.

"Well, that's the thing. Do you want to be home schooled the rest if your high school years?" Mom asked and I had to think about that for a moment.

I love being schooled at home where I could go to the bathroom whenever I please and I can eat while doing homework. Then again, I can go to the high school and spend time with my friends while Mom works.I can spend school hours with them and a few hours at Piper's with them before going home to Mom. Plus, we all have a week until summer and I can still hang out with everyone.

"As good as home schooling sounds, not really. I wanna try a year or two at high school and if I don't like it, I can come back to home school." I said.

"That sounds like a plan to me." Mom said and grabbed my hand. "I'm happy with either decision you choose. I love you, Talia."

"I love you too, Mom." I said and we both went back to eating.

I can't believe that I'm gonna go to high school with my friends and hang out with them! The best part was getting to spend time with Piper and Aaron, too.

I sighed and started to eat the rest of my pizza while trying to figure out a way to tell Piper without her squeezing me to death.

 **Done! I hope you all had some laughs at this. It took alot to get this posted.**

 **I'm still waiting for my new laptop. I may get it on my birthday. Until then, I'm using the phone to type. I wrote my stories in notebooks as well.**

 **I update my stories in order, so it'll take time to update every one of them.**

 **Please read and review and no flames please! :)**


	3. Party

**IMMA BACK! Yes, that was a Luigi reference. There's not really much to talk about other than I decided to take the year off college. I'm going to wait so I can get ready for it. Plus, we had transportation problems since my younger cousin now goes to middle school and my mom can't pick them up because she's still going to beauty school. She has a week until she graduates, so yay her!**

 **I'm 18 as of August 13th and it's actually kinda hard being an adult. The only problem is that I haven't grown an inch. I'm still stuck around the 5 foot area of the pool and I can't swim.**

 **Anyway, here's the update and I'm sure you all want me to shut up so you can read. I'm so sorry for the long wait. I still can't believe I take too long.**

 **I own: My OCs**

 **Nickelodeon and DreamWorks own: Penguins of Madagascar**

 **Talia POV**

"WE HAVE FREEDOM!" Piper yelled in my ear as she practically barges through the front door with the others.

"SO DO I!" I scream in her ear.

School has now ended for the both of us and now we plan to celebrate. But first we all have to see Mom off to New York.

"Are all of you here to see me off?" Mom asks as I get her suitcase for her.

"Yeah. Mom, don't leave me!" Piper joked and hugged Mom. "I don't know what to do without you!"

"I wish I could bring you with me, but my boss says it's just us employees." Mom said as she hugged Piper. "But I promise to bring you all something back."

"You're the best, Ma!" Hunter joked as he put an arm around Jasmine. "Just make sure you bring the best gift for your adopted son."

They finally got together after they performed the play for real. It was an awesome play and it was kinda funny when I went backstage to see them kissing. Let's just say Katie has a few pics to remember that day.

"And you know if I do that, the rest will be jealous." Mom said.

"Have a great time in New York! Ps, if you can afford it, there's a really cute designer top from Abercrombie and Fitch that would be a great gift." Katie said and then we all group hugged around Mom.

"Just keep a lookout for some cars parking in the driveway. That's my ride." Mom said and turned to me. "You remember what to do while I'm gone, right?"

"Yeah. If something comes up, go over to Piper's and if there's an emergency, call 911 and my friends." I said and Mom nodded. "Food money and other necessities are in the cabinet. Only spend it on items I really need. I can have 4 parties at the most and I need to keep everything clean afterwards. Any parties that have to do with illegal things, stop immediately and call cops if necessary."

"Whoa, whoa, you're letting Talia have parties while you're away to New York?" Cora asked in disbelief and Mom nodded.

"As long as there's 20 people or less and she cleans up afterwards, I'm fine with it." Mom said. "If she has more than 4 parties and everything's a mess, then we'll have problems. Especially if things get stolen, broken or illegal things happen."

"Man, I wish my parents would let me have parties while they're gone for the weekend." Jasmine said. "You're seriously the worlds coolest Mom."

"Thank you, Jasmine." Mom said. "Now, you all are invited to spend nights over here with Talia if she gets lonely and her emergency call list involves you. I'm trusting you to watch after her and not trash my house."

"Don't worry, Ms. Emerson. You can count on us." Hunter said and there was a honk from outside.

Cora peeked out the window and nodded.

"Looks like your ride's here." she said and we all gathered around for another group hug.

"Have fun in New York." we all chorused and let go of our massive hug.

"I'll miss you guys. I promise I'll be back as soon as possible." Mom said as I grabbed her suitcase and we both went outside.

"Don't forget any of the rules and other things I said, Talia." Mom said as a man got out of a car.

"I won't, Mom." I said and put her suitcase in the back once the man opened the trunk.

"Talia, this is my boss, Wayne. Wayne, this is my daughter, Talia." Mom introduced us and I shook hands with Wayne.

"Hello." I greeted.

"It's nice to meet you, Talia." Wayne said. "She looks just like you, Christina."

"Thank you, Wayne." Mom said.

"We don't have long until our flight leaves. We need to pick up Dan and then get to the airport." Wayne said.

"Alright, just give me a few seconds with my daughter." Mom said and Wayne got back in the car. "You be good, Talia."

"I will, Mom." I said and we hugged. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you the most." Mom said and she broke off the hug. "I'll call you the second I get on and off the plane and every night before bed."

"Ok. Bye, Mom. I love you." I said and gave her one last hug.

"Goodbye, Talia. I love you, too." Mom said and hugged me back.

After a second, she broke it off and got in the car. I waved at her and she waved back. Then she waved towards the house and I looked back to see some of the others waving at her through the windows. The car backed up out of the driveway and went down the street. I waved after it and watched it disappear. I never noticed Piper standing beside me and I jumped.

"Oh God, don't sneak up on me like that!" I said and put a hand on my beating heart.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Piper said. "Katie said she has an idea for tonight. Let's go."

"Alright." I said and followed her inside the house. Hunter brought me in for a hug.

"Are you ok?" he asked and I hugged him back.

"Yeah. I'll miss her, but I should be ok with you guys." I said and broke away from the hug.

"Should be? Don't you mean will be?" Cora asked.

"No, should be. What if a giant flying alien spaceship kidnaps me in my sleep and none of you are around to do anything?" I asked in a joking manner.

"That's when we come in and beat it with a stick." Katie said and I snorted at the mental picture.

"I'll jump in and scream, KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!" Piper said and cackled evilly. I softly laughed at her and her antics.

"What kinda crack have you been on lately?" I asked and she looked at me with a serious expression on her face.

"The cherry flavored kind." she said Jasmine scoffed.

"Just give me the green apple flavored kind and I'll be happy." Jasmine said and Hunter hummed deep in thought.

"Blue raspberry for me. Sugar free." Hunter said.

"What do you mean 'sugar free'? Sugar makes it better!" Cora said and Katie gasped.

"I actually know someone who sells crack!" she said and my eyes widened in shock.

Piper took a big step away from her and the others looked at her in surprise.

"Katie, hon. You know we're just picking, right?" Cora asked.

"Yeah I know. But I seriously know someone who does." Katie said. "I can't really turn him in because I don't have any hard proof."

"Well, don't go trying to play detective now. Unless you wanna get shot." Hunter said and Katie shook her head.

"I won't. Jeez, I had a really good idea for how to celebrate it being the last day of school. But now I forgot it." Katie said and twirled some of her curled, blonde hair in her fingers.

"Don't worry. It'll come back to you before long." I said.

"The pool sounds like a good option." Jasmine said.

"Not really. I have to stay in the short people area, remember?" I said and she nodded.

"Oh right. I forgot that you can't swim." Jasmine said.

"And it doesn't help that I'm a short stack, either." I said. "Then I wouldn't have to worry about drowning."

"Hey, your Mom said you can throw parties. Why not throw one here?" Cora asked and I had to think about it.

Throwing a party on the last day of school sounded cool, but I didn't have the time or money to get all of the food for it. Plus, I would need to hide all of Mom's stuff as well as mine.

"I remember my idea now!" Katie gasped and jumped up and down.

"Spit it out, girl." I said and Hunter chuckled.

"I knew it would come to you sooner or later." he said and pat her on the head.

"Zack told me that he was having an end of the school year party and I'm invited! I can bring any one I want!" Katie said.

"Oh, it's one of the popular parties." Piper said. "Aren't those the kind of parties where people get hooked on drugs and get wasted?"

"I don't mind because I watch what I drink." Hunter said. "I keep a limit to what I drink."

"So do I." Jasmine said.

"My mother says I can conjure spirits and stuff like that, but if I get caught drinking or something, all bets are off." Cora said.

"We're not ready for beer yet." Piper said and I nodded.

I never wanted to drink beer because of what I seen on TV and I seen horrible car crashes that were caused by drunk drivers. I'd probably have one drink and be the sober girl while everyone around me passes out, makes out and pokes me in the face saying, 'Squishy.'

"It's possible in the future, but not now." I said. "I'd be just as worried about the drunk guys hanging around. I wanna keep my virginity tonight."

"Um, hello! Giant sack of meat that can pose as our bodyguard standing right there!" Cora said and pointed to Hunter.

"Hey, I may be giant, but I'm not fat!" Hunter retorted.

"You're poofy." Jasmine joked and I snorted at the Ice Age reference.

"I asked Zack if we could raid his fridge and he said it would be ok." Katie said. "Us girls can just stay by some non-drunk men and take a can of mace just in case. Hey, that rhymed!"

"I'm still not sure. Maybe someone's gonna hijack my soda and put beer in it. Or worse, a used condom." Piper said and I gagged.

"Ew, that's just gross!" Jasmine said and Cora stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"I can only protect you guys, I'm not so sure about sodas and food." Hunter said.

"Ok, then we pack food and sealed drink bottles. Please guys, I wanna go to this party more than anything. We can have fun up there and I can't remember if Zack said he had a karaoke machine or Just Dance for the Wii hooked up to his TV." Katie begged. "We're all supposed to go together to have fun tonight. We can't go to the club because we don't have fake IDs or are above 18."

"I'm in for a party. I just don't know about the popular kids." Cora said and I nodded in agreement.

"But it's Zack Worley's part. Everyone's gonna be there. Including Aaron." Katie said with a knowing glance at me.

I didn't make eye contact and kept my gaze at the coffee table.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said and fiddled with my fingers.

"Oh, c'mon, Talia. We all know you like him enough to marry him." Jasmine joked and I blushed scarlet.

"N-no I don't." I stammered.

"It's ok, hon. You like him, that's the important thing." Hunter said and I put my face in my hands. "Maybe you two can dance together at the party."

"What!? No way!" I exclaim and put my hands down. "He wouldn't ask me to dance if we all go to the party. He wouldn't even ask me out on a date!"

"Of course he would. And who said he had to ask you out on a date?" Jasmine said.

"Hey, you're very pretty, Talia. Aaron would be a fool to not date you." Piper said and grabbed my arm. "If he ever hurts you, he's already dead."

"I'll keep that in mind." I chuckled at Piper's threat.

"He took Jasmine's old room in the fort not too long ago and you all got it set up." Cora pointed out. "Maybe he moved in there to get closer to you."

"I dunno about that." I said. "If Aaron does wanna get closer to me, then why didn't he ask me out to the party before?"

"Zack said that he did have plans for tonight, but they got cancelled and now he's joining the party." Katie said.

"What if Aaron starts getting drunk or high? I really don't wanna be around him if he's doing those things." I said.

"C'mon, Talia. You know Aaron doesn't drink or do drugs." Piper retorted. "He told us that when we were setting up his fort room. Or were you too busy daydreaming about him to pay attention?"

"Oh shut up, Piper." I said and glared at the floor.

"It's ok to say that you're in love, Talia." Jasmine said. "It's not as hard as you think it is."

"It's not only that, but tonight we were all gonna be spending time together." I said. "Katie's probably gonna be with Zack all night, you and Hunter are gonna be dancing together, Cora's probably gonna show the other populars their fortunes, and if I stay with Aaron, Piper's gonna be all alone."

"That's not true. I'd help con the drunks into paying for Cora's services." Piper said. "Even if we do split up, we're all still having fun. You don't have to worry about us."

"Yeah and since you like Aaron so much, it won't be that hard to get him to dance with you." Jasmine said.

"And if he makes you cry, I'll kick his ass." Hunter said.

"Really, guys? You don't have to." I said.

"No way! Katie has Zack, Piper and Cora have fortune-telling, me and Hunter can dance and have one drink, and you can dance with Aaron." Jasmine said. "We have our security, we don't drink except for me and Hunter, and if I see any drugs, we run away."

I had to think about that. I go to the party and hang around my friends or go to the party and hang around Aaron all the time. I want the best of both worlds. Maybe I could hang around with them for a while and then go off with Aaron. That sounds better than nothing and I don't wanna ruin the night by wanting to do nothing.

"Alright, we'll go. But I want to spend time with you guys before I go off with Aaron." I said.

"Deal." Piper agreed. "Are you nervous because it's your first technical date?"

"No!" I said a bit too loud. "Ok, maybe just a little."

"Don't worry, the first date can be exciting." Cora said. "My mom was nervous the first time she met Dad on their date. Later that day, they were kissing like no tomorrow."

"Aaron wouldn't...do that, would he?" I asked with a hint of fear.

I'm a little scared to have my first kiss, even if I am with Aaron. I don't know if I'll mess up or if he won't like the kiss.

"Maybe he will." Hunter teased and my cheeks turned crimson.

"What time does the party start?" I asked and looked the other way.

"7:00. We have plenty of time to get ready for the party." Katie said. "What shade of pink do you guys think I should wear?"

"Just how many shades of pink do you need?" Hunter asked. "You almost sound like Fifty Shades of Grey. Except you're Fifty Shades of Pink."

"At least I'm prettier than that girl who played as Anastasia." Katie said.

"Oh, that's cold." I commented. "You know, she really is pretty. Just as pretty as the rest of us."

"Yeah, I bet she did look good in that one dress that it mentioned in the book." Katie said.

"Well, that settles it." Piper said. "We're all going to the party."

"Yay!" Katie squealed and she jumped around.

"Whoa, calm your tits." Cora said and checked her phone. "We have a few good hours to get ready. I left all of my palm reading material and other stuff at home."

"We have to get ready." Jasmine said.

"I think I'll be fine in what I got on right now." Hunter said. "And if anyone messes with me, they'll get their ass kicked."

"I can stay here and get Talia ready with me." Piper said and I frowned.

"What's wrong with what I got on?" I asked and studied my punk Tinker Bell tank top with my jean material jacket, skinny jeans and my black combat boots.

"You just need something a little more snazzy if you really wanna impress Aaron." Piper said and I felt my cheeks heat up again.

"Ok, then. What can we do now?" I asked.

"We can hang out in the fort for a while before we split." Piper suggested.

"Sure beans. I think I left some things in there I may need for tonight." Cora said and we all exited the house.

I made sure to lock the doors before we went out and we went through the back gate door to Piper's back yard. We went to the fort and I seen the pulley system (now being pulled by the garden hose reel) and the front exit as the only way up. A tree branch from another tree fell and blocked the sky deck entrance, so we're having to use the others until Piper's dad can cut the branch out of the way.

"Don't worry, guys. Dad's gonna get that moved soon." Piper said and she opened the door.

Me, Katie and Cora followed her lead and Hunter got Jasmine on the lift. He followed Cora up on the ladder once Jasmine was up on the small sky deck.

"You said Aaron already has all of his stuff in here, right?" Hunter asked.

"Eeyup." I answered.

"Now you two are living right next to each other. What's next? Are you two getting married?" Hunter teased.

"Hey, not funny." I pouted and looked the other way.

"I got what I need. Have I done any of these on you guys before?" Cora asked as she came out from her room and laid out colorful fake stones on the coffee table. "I know the drunk guys and girls are gonna wanna do the love test."

"A bunch of those guys are seniors. Make sure to sucker them out every penny." Piper said and picked up her birth stone. "And why, pray tell, do you wanna play this game when it barely works?"

"They don't know most of what I do is a scam and the ones that do work I can mess around a little bit. Plus, they're drunk and high. It's not like they'll be thinking straight." Cora said. "I don't wanna go around asking everyone if they wanna have my services. I need a sign and I can just sit at a random table. We can make it real quick."

"Oh, can we paint it pink?" Katie asked.

"Hell no." Cora said. "I'm Wiccan, not Barbie. The sign has to be dark. Piper, you got any dark markers? I already have a piece of cardboard in my room."

Piper went to get the markers out of her art set and Cora went back into her room to get the cardboard.

"If these colors don't suit you, I think we still have that black paint in the basement somewhere." Piper said as she laid out the darkest colors she had on the coffee table.

"I can draw some Wiccan symbols on the sign, but I'm probably gonna need something other than Fortune Telling as the title. It makes me sound like I'm a gypsy." Cora said. "Plus, I need that black paint because the back of this thing has Swiffer Sweeper and those colors will give me a migraine mixed together."

"Would 'The Amazing Cora' work?" Piper asked.

"Nah, that sounds too cliché." Cora answered.

"'Wiccan Fortune Teller'?" Katie asked.

"Nope." Cora answered with a wave of her hand.

"'Wiccan Activities with Cora'?" Jasmine guessed.

"Hmmm...not too bad. Just take out the 'with Cora' and that'll do." Cora said. "If anything goes bad, I don't want my name on the sign and them coming after me."

"If you just add a stick to the bottom it'll be a picket sign." Jasmine said and I thought of something funny.

"Or we can paint a fence and go on a riot." I said and Piper caught onto my joke.

"Not a picket fence, you ding dong! Picket sign!" Piper said while holding her nose to sound like Squidward.

"How about this, Squidward?" Hunter joked with us and pretended to have his finger up his nose.

"Wait, I thought we were going to the party, not on a riot." Katie stated and I facepalmed.

"Katie, go back to chasing those bunny rabbits in your head." Jasmine said as Katie shrugged and went back to texting.

"C'mon, let's work on our picket sign." Piper said and I grabbed a marker.

"We'll be outside." Hunter said as he and Jasmine went out to the sky deck.

More than likely they were making out. But Katie went on and off with helping us because she was trying to text. It didn't take very long to get the front of the picket sign finished and now all we had to do was find the black paint for the back of the sign.

"Finished." Cora sighed as she colored in the last letter. "Now we find the black paint. Is it ok if I leave this thing here to dry until we all leave for the party?"

"But how are we getting there when we all have t split up?" Piper asked.

"Pot hole." I said.

"I guess Hunter can come get us and drive us to the party." Katie guessed. "Zack can't pick me up because he's getting the party started.

"Ok, but won't going all over the place make us late?" I asked.

"I have a plan." Hunter said as he and Jasmine came back inside. "Jasmine and I are going to the diner. We can either drop you guys off to get ready or you can come with us."

"I have to get ready." Katie said.

"I might as well go home and get ready, too. I left a few things at my house that I need for tonight." Cora explained.

"You two go with us and you two don't really have to go anywhere." Jasmine said as she pointed to Cora and Katie then to me and Piper.

"Then we just pick them up and come get you guys with the picket sign since you live closer to the school." Hunter finished.

"Ok. We're gonna go find the black paint real quick." Piper said and she left with Cora.

Katie started looking at different pictures of her outfits on her phone and the other two cuddled up to each other.

I wonder if that's how me and Aaron would look like if we get together. Would we end up together in the future? I blushed at the thought and went to my room so I could think more clearly. I sat on the mattress and sighed.

Tonight I may get to hang out with Aaron at a real party. God I hope I don't mess up. I can dance pretty good, that's for sure, but I don't wanna mess up my chances of wooing Aaron by tripping on my feet. Then I would be a total laughing stock and he may laugh at me without helping me up.

God, what am I thinking? Am I falling for Aaron that hard? I sat back and sighed as I stared at the closed 'door' that led to the room that now belongs to Aaron. Well, I guess tonight will be victorious or end in disaster.

"Talia, come help us with this!" I heard Piper yell from below.

I got up and went to my outside exit and went down the ladder. I entered the living room and watched as Cora laid out a blanket and Piper opened the paint.

"Grab a brush and dig in." Piper said and pointed to some used paintbrushes by the paint.

"Are these yours?" I asked as I picked one up.

"No, they're some from the basement." Piper answered and turned the sign over on it's front on the blanket Cora laid out. "I don't wanna use any of mine because this paint may be harder to get out."

"Ok." I said and grabbed a brush.

"Don't use too much paint or else the paint may make the cardboard soggy/flimsy." Piper instructed and I followed her orders.

We got started on the sign and finished within 30 minutes. I was careful not to get any paint on anything around me other than the sign. I also did my best to not get anything on my skin, either. If I did, I hope Cora could make a henna tattoo out of the spot on my skin.

"Ok, now to let this dry." Cora said as we finished painting the sign.

"I can't wait for the party! What if someone catches onto what Cora's doing? What if they follow you here?" Katie asked.

"If we escapé from Zack's house and angry, drunk people follow us, then we defend ourselves with our weapons." Piper said and pointed to the box Katie sat on.

"What if they try to burn the fort down?" Katie asked.

"We have water balloons and water guns. Plus, the water sprinklers and the hose are right under us. We're good." Piper explained.

"You guys done with the sign yet?" Hunter asked and popped his head through the door.

"Yeah." I answered.

"Good. Jasmine and I are going to the diner now. So those of you leaving with us, time to haul ass." Hunter said and Katie headed on out.

"I need to get some stuff. Hold up a sec!" Cora said and she hurried up to her room.

Piper went to help her and I went to close any doors left open. Piper and Cora met me out on the small sky deck and they started putting stuff in the lift.

"It's coming down!" Cora called as she carefully brought the lift down.

"We got it!" Jasmine called as she and Hunter got the stuff.

"I'm coming!" Cora yelled as she ran back inside and we followed her down. "Just don't forget about the sign and I'll see you guys later!"

"We won't forget! Bye!" I said and they all ran out to the truck.

"Now, let's get ourselves cleaned up." Piper said as she led me inside her house.

"Seriously, how bad do I look in this?" I asked as she dragged me to her room. "You can tell me. I won't be offended."

"You look good in that, Talia. You just need something that screams, 'party animal.' Plus, Aaron wouldn't wanna leave your side once I get done with you." Piper said and raided her closet. "I already have my outfit picked out. I just need to find yours somewhere in here."

After a moment or two of searching, Piper let out an excited gasp that came from deep in the closet.

"Got it! You and I wear the same size, so you shouldn't have a problem fitting into this!" Piper said and she came out of the closet with something behind her back. "I just came from the deepest, darkest, most terrifyingly scariest parts of my closet. And I come out with my prime jewel."

Piper brought the dress out in front of her so I could see it and my mouth dropped. It's a beautiful leopard spotted purple dress that flared out around the mid-thighs. The color was a darker shade of purple and it was so pretty. I'm really shocked.

"Piper...where did you get this?" I asked as she brought the dress over.

"Remember when we went on a trip to Tanger Outlets and my parents split from us?" Piper asked and I nodded. "They got it for me as a Christmas gift and I also wore it when Dad hosted a business meeting at home. I barely use it anyway, so I guess you and I can share it from time to time."

"Wow. Thank you, Pied Piper!" I squealed and we both squeezed each other in a hug.

"Ok, Tally Mark, we need to go shower, get our make-up on and all that other shit." Piper said.

"Why make-up? You know I sweat too much to wear make-up." I said and let her lead me to her parents bathroom.

"Make-up helps with the dress. I'll do it like Mom did with me one time. You and Aaron really should hookoo up. You're both perfect for each other." Piper said and grabbed some towels. "You get this shower and I'll take mine. Make sure to leave Mom's razor where she can see it."

I got in and made sure to shampoo thoroughly with the shampoo Piper's mom used. It smells good and sometimes I can smell it on her whenever I'm close enough. I made sure to shave my legs good since I'm wearing a dress and I ain't wearing the dress with hairy legs.

I dried my body and then my hair the best I could and put on the dress. I looked like a whole new person in the dress and met Piper in the hallway. Her dress is a dark blue with black triangles on the front and back. It really showed off her hourglass figure.

"Wow, Piper. I don't think I've seen you look like a complete chick before." I said.

"Yep. I like this one the most because I got shoes to match it." Piper said and took out her blue Converse shoes. "I'm not a total complete chick."

"Hey, these should work for me." I said and put on my combat boots. "Badass sisters gotta match."

We went to her parents room and Piper started helping me with my make-up. I instantly regretted letting her put it on me. I hate wearing make-up.

"Why make-up again?" I asked as she put the eyeliner on me.

"Because you'll be eye candy for Aaron." Piper said and added a little bit of blush. "Believe me, we're both gonna get alot of attention."

It felt like forever, but after a few minutes Piper finished putting on my make-up and showed me what I looked like in the mirror.

"Wow." I said.

Piper gave me a cat's eye look with the eyeliner. Silver eyeshadow with glitter gave my eyelids more sparkle and helped bring out the green in my eyes. My eyelashes flared out with the mascara and Piper had me put on a dark lipstick that made me look nearly Gothic in the face.

"Not too shabby, huh? Do you want your hair down straight or do you want me to curl it?" Piper asked as she quickly put on her make-up.

"It's fine straight." I said as I brushed through it with my fingers. "You did a good job.

"Thanks. I'm gonna curl my hair. Don't hesitate to ask if you want yours curled." Piper said and she curled her hair. "What time is it?"

"Um, 6:15." I answered and checked my phone.

"Mom gets off early and her and Dad plan on going out." Piper said. "Mom knows we're going to a party. She just wants us back at a certain time."

"I'm staying over tonight, right?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yep. And my curls look bouncy." Piper said as she kept nodding her head and her curls bounced.

"OK then, bouncy curls, we've got a party to get to." I said and we both went outside.

"I told Hunter we'd be waiting out in the yard." Piper said and we went to the front lawn. "I'm going back for the sign and hopefully it's dry."

Piper went to get the sign and I waited out on the sidewalk. I started to chew on my nails as I waited, a nervous habit I can't break. I did my best to stop it before I wiped off all of my lipstick. Soon Piper came back with the sign.

"I'm actually kinda nervous." I said and Piper pat me on the shoulder.

"It's ok. We can be nervous together." Piper joked and I smiled.

"I think I can do this." I said and she fist bumped me.

"That a girl!" Piper said and Hunter came up in his truck with the others.

We quickly hopped in the back and had to squeeze in the backseat since there was hardly any room back there.

"Wow, you two look like you're gonna walk the red carpet." Jasmine said and Hunter wolf whistled.

"Talia, is that you?" Hunter joked and I playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"Of course it's me!" I said.

"Did I do a good job or what?" Piper asked.

"You both look amazing!" Katie said.

"If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you both look like Barbie chicks." Cora said as Hunter drove off.

"Why do you always say girls who dress like me are Barbie chicks?" Katie asked.

"Because you guys look like Barbie dolls." Cora answered.

I took the time to look at their outfits. Hunter had on the same thing from earlier, Jasmine had on a biker chick outfit, Katie had on a pink dress, and Cora had on a black dress with spider Web leggings.

Aaron lived about a block or so from Jasmine, so now I know where he lives. God I feel like a stalker now. But we made it to his house and the street was littered with cars. The music was loud and I could hear the bass from all the way where we parked.

"Well, I won't be able to hear clearly in the morning if the bass keeps up like this." Hunter said as we all got out of the car.

We walked in through the front door with everyone else. I smelled some food and I think some alcohol as I went in. I seriously hope Aaron won't be doing drugs or alcohol. Some people were wearing dresses, others in snazzy clothes and some who barely had any clothes on to begin with. A couple of girls were glaring at me and Piper, but I ignored them.

"I've noticed those girls were glaring at us. I didn't know I did that good of a job." Piper said and I smirked. "They're just jealous because they can't stand to have someone else have their spotlight."

"Let's move. It's getting a little crowded." Cora shouted over the music and people started piling up by us.

I heard a few whistles as we made our way through the dance floor and someone touched my arm.

"Looking good, girls!" Someone shouted and I quickly scurried towards a small hallway.

Piper, Cora and Katie followed while Hunter and Jasmine went to dance to 'Gas Pedal'.

"Ok, Hunter and Jasmine got their things to do. Now we can have fun." Cora said. "I'm gonna be stationed somewhere over here by the back door so that way I can make a run for it in case something happens."

"I need to find Zack. Does anyone see him?" Katie asked as she tried to look over the tall people around her.

"I don't see him." I said after looking for him and Aaron. "It's his party. You'd think he'd be here."

"C'mon, you guys. Hunter and Jasmine are both having fun out there on the dance floor. Let's join them for a few songs." Piper said as she grabbed mine and Cora's hands.

Katie followed us after taking one more look around for Zack. We danced our way over to Hunter said Jasmine and started dancing once "Talk Dirty" came on. I swayed my hips along to the beat and Piper eventually started to have a little dance competition with me.

I smirked and we both got down with it. I seen some random guy dance his way towards us and I danced with him for a while before I let Katie take over for me. We danced to "No Hands," "Low" and "Hey Baby" before Katie went over to Zack. She almost threw people out of the way to get to him.

"Hey, I'm gonna set up shop! Later!" Cora called and she went back to her sign.

"So, one more dance or we go search for Aaron?" Piper asked.

"Let's look for Aaron real quick." I said and we made our way to the other side of the room.

I seen Zack chatting with Katie and a few others, but I didn't see Aaron with him.

"I found him!" Piper said and I seen him by the staircase.

He looked good in the clothes he picked out. He had his hair styled in a way that made him look devilishly handsome.

"Uh, oh." Piper muttered as another girl walked up to him and tried to drag him to the dance floor. "Don't worry. Maybe we can change his mind about dancing with her."

I smirked at Piper's idea. "Somebody" came on and we both went to the dance floor. I let the beat control my body and I peeked to see if Aaron was looking. I thought I seen him looking at me, but the other girl was trying to block his view. Looks like I have to kick it up a notch.

As I got in full swing with Piper, we started doing a few moves from the music video and some people were cheering us on. Another guy started to dance with us and we just went along with it.

It wasn't until he started to grind against me is when I pulled away. But he started to pull me back and I did my best to slip out of his grip. I felt someone else put a hand on mine that wasn't this guy's hand. My gaze went up and I seen Aaron winking at me.

My heart raced as Aaron took me away from the other guy and held me in his arms. I think Aaron shouted something to the guy, but I was too busy trying not to hyperventilate to notice.

"Dude, you just saved that guy from getting an ass whopping from us." Piper said as we stopped dancing and the song went off.

"I saw what he was trying to do and he knows who I am. If Zack knows that he tried to kick my ass, he's dead." Aaron said. "You both look good. I mean, I'm shocked to see you both here dressed like this."

Oh my god, he really likes my outfit! Thank you, Piper! I don't think I can breathe.

"C'mon, let's go." Aaron said and pulled me away from the dance floor.

What really got me was that he didn't let go of my hand at all. He led me and Piper around the stairs and we hung out around there.

"What brings you guys here? I thought you guys don't like these kinds of parties." Aaron asked.

"It's the last day of school and we need to celebrate. We're just not drinking or eating anything from here." Piper explained.

"I'm not doing any of those things, either. I got a secret stash of food hidden in my room with some sodas. Wanna come with me?" Aaron asked and I looked at Piper.

"Sorry, dude. Going up there with you is a no-go." Piper said. "Two girls going with you upstairs means you're about to do the nasty."

"Oh right. I forgot. Don't pay attention to that." Aaron said and blushed. "I-I'll get the stuff."

I smiled and watched him go upstairs. Watching him blush like a little kid was really cute and made him look so adorable.

"That was so cute when he blushed. Who knew a more popular dude like him would be this nice?" Piper said.

"Yeah. You really think he'd be a good boyfriend for me?" I asked and tried not to blush.

"Of course. He's actually a keeper." Piper smiled. "I guess after I finish eating my snack I can go with Cora and help out with her. I can let you two be alone."

"I guess. But I don't wanna leave you here to fend for yourself." I said.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine, Tally." Piper reassured me and looked up. "Here comes your prince charming now."

Aaron walked down the stairs with some chips, salsa and tried to juggle some drinks at the same time.

"Wow. You know how to prepare." I said and took a bag of chips along with a drink.

"I have a good hiding place for this stuff." Aaron said.

We ate and talked about what we're doing for the summer. I suggested we could all hang out somewhere in town since Aaron only had a few soccer meetings during the summer. I was really excited about Aaron staying over alot with us and I nearly jumped up and down in excitement.

"Ok, I'm finished. I'm gonna chill with Cora for a while. Don't have too much fun while I'm gone." Piper winked at me and walked away.

"So, you're coming to school next year?" Aaron asked as we threw away our trash and I nodded.

"Well...I'm thinking about it. If it doesn't work out, I'm going back to home school." I said.

"Maybe you should come to high school. It'll be fun hanging out together and we can see each other more often." Aaron said and I felt like fainting to those words.

"You...wanna hang out with me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. You're cool and I like being with you." He said and I swear I saw him blush.

"Aaron!" The same blonde girl I seen by him earlier came over to us.

The second she saw me, her face went into disgust and she eyeballed me.

"Why're you over here with her?" She asked. "Is she from Tonow High School? I haven't seen her at school before."

"I'm home schooled." I said.

"Oh. That explains why you look so tacky in those hideous boots." She said and looked at Aaron with lovey eyes. "Come dance with me and stop hanging out with wanna-be scum like her."

"If you're gonna act that way, Priscilla, then you can walk away and stop being a bitch to Talia." Aaron said and that surprised me. "You don't have any say in the people I hang around."

"But Aaron! She's a nobody! Why do you wanna be with her when you can be with me?" Priscilla edged and tried to press onto Aaron.

That got me mad and before I could say anything, Aaron grabbed her arm and gently pushed her away.

"Because she doesn't talk shit about everyone and she definitely isn't coming onto me while being trashy like you." Aaron said with a small glare and grabbed my hand. "C'mon. Let's dance."

I let my mouth drop as he brought me to the dance floor and left Priscilla behind. I can't believe he just did that. I usually stand up for myself and others, but Aaron did it for me!

"Aaron!" I heard her call and I smirked a little.

I can't believe he chose me over her. Well, I can see why. She's a bitch. Just then, my fears came back when we were on the dance floor. Oh god, we're gonna dance together! I don't know if I'm ready yet. But once we got on the floor, I gulped and did my best to swallow my fear. It's now or never.

Once Aaron turned towards me, I stopped my fear and listened to the music. The song was just now ending and a new song came on. I smirked at Aaron and started to dance.

 **/Hzje3qZJxPU**

Before I could do my best move, I steppedon something and fell on my ass. I seen cheese doodles and I looked where the majority were. Priscilla was smirking while holding the bowl with a few other girls laughing beside her. I glared at her and Aaron helped me up.

"Very mature, bitch." I said to her and she glared.

"Just leave me alone, Priscilla! I don't like you at all and I don't wanna be your friend! Go away!" Aaron yelled and he led me to the other side of the dance floor. "I'm so sorry about her. She's just jealous."

"It's ok. I don't have to worry about bitches like her." I said. "Thanks for sticking up for me."

"You're welcome." he said and a slow song came on. "Wanna dance? This time with no interruptions."

"S-sure." I stammered as he took my hand and held me close.

Oh god, I feel a heart attack coming on. No, no, I can't mess up. I moved in time with Aaron and took a breath as his hand lay at my waist. Jesus, I need to calm down.

"You know, you really should come to high school. Granted, you're gonna have to deal with a bunch of other stuff and not have the luxury of home, but it'll be fun hanging out with you." Aaron said in my ear.

"I never thought you'd like to be with me." I said, blushing.

"Of course. You're different than all those other girls." Aaron said and I looked at him with a smile.

He smiled back st me and I noticed how close I was to actually kissing him. I was trying my hardest not to sweat or faint, but I want to kiss him so bad. I kept thinking over and over again about how good it would feel to kiss Aaron, but at the same time be bad if things go wrong.

I blinked as he leaned in just a tiny bit. Oh hell with it. I'm taking a chance.

I leaned in and felt my heart slow just a bit. Today is the day I have my first kiss.

"Talia!" Piper suddenly yanked me back by the arm and I blinked again.

"Piper! What the hell!?" I exclaimed as Aaron stood there with a confused expression on his face.

"Drunks finally caught on to Cora's tricks. We need to go while Hunter stalls." Piper said.

Oh...we'll shit.

 **Ha, I'm evil. Well, there you go. Another chapter finished. It's kinda a filler chapter, but it needed to be up anyway.**

 **Please read and review and no flames please! :)**


	4. Authors Note

**Hey everyone.**

 **Yeah, it's been a long time. Well, I really hate to do this, but I just can't finish this story. Hell, I couldn't even start it right. In all honesty, I didn't even have a good plot line to go with that story. I guess it would've been better off as just an unwritten plot bunny.**

 **I really hate that I'm not finishing the story and I'm letting you all down. But this one wasn't mean to be and I'm really sorry.**

 **I have a job that pays my car bill and I'm spending most of my free time with my family. That's mainly why I haven't updated in so long. I do still plan on writing my other stories. They will be finished even if it kills me.**

 **I'm gonna keep this up for an entire week so everyone can read it before I permanently delete the story. So once again I'm so sorry for deleting this and not finishing. But I promise to work on the others and finish them when I can.**

 **I guess that's everything for now. Til all are one.**

 **Esperanza Hyde the Vamp Queen**


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